The site itself dates back to the 8th Century when a fort stood on the site which was under the control of the King of Mercia. The young king turned insane, believed to be due to a curse, and only ruled for 7 years.
The land had many owners until 1412 when the Talbot family and the Earls of Shrewsbury occupied the castle.
The house and estate was known as Alveton Lodge, or Alton Lodge, during its early days and was used as a summer house by the Earl of Shrewsbury and his family. When Charles became the 15th Earl, he decided to pay greater interest in the building, and decided to extend it. He hired the architect A. W. Pugin, who was also involved in the design of Woodchester Mansion in Stroud, Gloucestershire, along with other architects and craftsmen to design and build what would become a stunning example of Gothic architecture.
The 1900's saw the house begin its demise, and by 1924 it was sold as lack of funds made the maintenance of the house unaffordable.
There is a whole host of reports of paranormal activity at Alton Towers, from the mysterious grey lady the disturbing sight of the chained tree...
It's believed that the Talbot family had a curse placed upon them after the previous Earl had mistreated an elderly lady. It is rumoured she said ' For every branch on the Old Oak Tree here that falls..., a member of the Earl's family will die'. Since then, every branch of the tree has been purposely held together by chains to stop any of the branches falling.
Is this just folklore? Who knows, but it doesn't stop the rumours of black arts being performed there, and that if you visit the tree on a moonless night, you'll meet a stranger dressed in black...
The Towers possess a foreboding atmosphere, which given its 1500 history is hardly surprising.
Behind it's intimidating grandeur are a wealth of reported hauntings and paranormal activty. One reported haunting is the black lady, spotted walking the corridors on many occasions. Staff in the 1980's approached the lady asking her to leave, believing her to be a member of the public, but when she disappeared in front of them, they realised something wasn't quite right!
The Music Room is home to another of the Towers' spectres. Heavy footsteps and the unnerving presence of a man have been commonly reported, with the same footsteps heared in the Banqueting Hall too...
Poltergeist activity has also been reported many times, with visitors and staff alike reporting to have had small stones and objects thrown near them.
Haunted Experience have hired the whole building and secured exclusive access to the Chapel for what promises to be an amazing overnight investigation to one of the UK's most haunted locations. You will be given full use of all ghost hunting equipment and full rundiwn on what they are used for an why they are used.
We encourage you to bring any cameras, camcorders etc. as you really do never know what you are going to experience!
This really is an amazing location, and one you really don't want to miss out on! |
